Some in the community think it is time to change how fights are scored after Merab Dvalishvili’s latest dominant triumph.
Saturday’s UFC 320 pay-per-view saw one of two titles on the line change hands, with Alex Pereira getting revenge on Magomed Ankalaev in the main event.
Before that, it was another successful night at the office for the bantamweight king, as Dvalishvili defeated Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision to remain on the throne and move closer to an unrivaled reign in the division.
But although the Georgian has shown close to total dominance in his last two fights, not everyone is enjoying how Dvalishvili is getting the job done.
Boxing superstar Ryan Garcia pitches scoring change after Merab Dvalishvili’s win
In hardcore MMA spaces, Dvalishvili is far from a boring athlete. But for those with a penchant for striking-only disciplines, the Georgian may not be the fighter to get them interested in mixed martial arts.
Proving as much was boxing star Ryan Garcia’s reaction to the UFC 320 co-main event. He first posted a comment regarding takedowns, having watched on as Dvalishvili landed a record 20 of 37 attempts.
“I respect the sport of MMA for sure, but damn, these takedown-dominant fighters make it boring for me,” Garcia wrote on X.
And in a follow-up post, the 27-year-old Californian proposed a radical change to the scoring criteria, which currently does not reward any kind of defensive action.
“They should give points in the round for stuffing takedown and standing up quick. I don’t know, just my thoughts.”
Fans debate scoring criteria change after Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen
Fans quickly took to the comments section to give their takes on Garcia’s takeaway from Dvalishvili’s UFC 320 triumph.
There were some who supported Garcia’s bold suggestion, believing defense should be acknowledged by the judges in MMA.
“I agree. I’ve thought that for a long time. The spamming takedowns is getting old.”
“An actual good take given by a boxer in regards to MMA? Rare W.”
“Stuffing takedowns should reward points.”
“Been saying this for years, couldn’t agree more.”
“Great MMA take by Ryan Garcia. I thought I’d seen it all.”
“Facts. Defense should count too stopping a takedown takes as much skill as landing one.”
Plenty, though, pushed back on the change.
“Defense doesn’t win fights.”
“Defense in itself is the reward. It’s like saying you should get points for blocking a shot in basketball.”
“Then blocking a punch should also be giving points also, right?”
“Scoring was changed recently to de-emphasize takedowns without damage. The problem is Cory just didn’t really do much outside of a few moments here or there.”
“Stick to boxing.”
“Nah that’s like giving points for blocking punches.”
“No because you just stopped someone from doing things to you. That’s just like saying they should score checking leg kicks or blocking jabs.”
“Yeah 100%, so the person getting controlled wins the fight.”